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True Pool and Billiard History Stories

8/17/2007 4:16:55 PM

True Pool and Billiard History Stories

I'm from Spain and I'm looking for pool histories. Any story that tells of some history of billiards.

Obviously, there's nothing about that in Spanish, but I can't find anything in English either.

Is there someone who know about a web or book that talks about pool's real histories, anecdotes, and untold stories about professional pool players?

I'd like something about 1990s and 2000s pool players.

Thank you very much.

True Pool and Billiard History Stories

Replies & Comments
  1. cluster28billiardsforum on 8/17/2007 5:57:24 PM

    Actually there is a large amount of content out there on the web, but you have to be specific about what you are searching for. Just doing a google search (bottom of this page) for "Billiard History" will get you many results.

  2. cluster28cluster28 on 8/17/2007 6:15:45 PM

    I'm searching things like for example "what happened in a match", "what that player said to this other", "in this tournament this player didn't play because..." Not history about billiards. Curiosities in general.

  3. cluster28Levi Wang on 8/20/2007 11:26:25 PM

    I am want to know this too, especially history of billiard table and cue.

  4. cluster28billiardsforum on 8/21/2007 6:25:39 PM

    I get what you are looking for now. Really, there is no one repository for this sort of information at the moment, but I always come across it while reading pro pool player's biographies, or even just intereviews with them. Usually throughout any given interview, you'll get several of these anecdotal pieces of information.

    For example, take the article about Steve Mizerak in the Pool Players section on this site. For example, in that article, it tells about the shooting of his Miller Light commercial, and how he would make the near-impossible shot he was attempting and the camera was out of focus. Because of this, and other things like people sneezing in the background, it took him 181 tries to make all three shots. The commercial is famous in the billiard world.

    Really, you have your work cut out for you, but the information IS out there if you just look.

  5. cluster28kedrick on 9/21/2007 8:06:31 AM

    Hello Levi Wang,

    I am kedrick new in this. I know only the game of eight-ball is derived from an earlier game invented around 1900 and first popularised in 1925 under the name B.B.C. Co. Pool by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company. The forerunner game was played with seven yellow and seven red balls, a black ball, and the cue.I believe it will sufficient for you.Bye

  6. cluster28Fenwick on 11/6/2007 11:05:34 AM

    Perhaps I can some day find the answer I'm looking for too.

    I have a story that will follow and explain my question. I have done endless searches but can not find the answer to my question; who was this man or who could he have been. This took place in the 1970's when there were a lot of old Pool Halls in Milwaukee and West Allis Wisconsin and Pool was BIG. There are few records that go back to this era, 1940-1960. I have also been trying to find some history information with little or no results.

    I met a famous pool player in West Allis Wisconsin U.S.A. in the mid to late 1970's but can not recall his name for certain. He would have be in his late 70's or perhaps near 80 years old at that time. Average looking man, heavy set, blue eyes and always watching our bar leagues. When ever we would shoot this team he would come along as his son who was around 50 years old was on that team. I remember when one of us would make what he thought was a good shoot he would mumble "anyone could make that shot".

    After three or four years of hearing this one day after I made what I thought was a great shot that brought the house down with cheers and when it quieted down he said for the first time I ever heard, "Nice Shot Young Man".

    I turned to look at the opposing team and then my team Captain who was at the time the Plant Manager at Allis Chalmers and asked just who the heck that old man thought he was. I was young and full of myself at that time. That's where I'm confused because I would swear they said it was Willie Hoppe but when I checked his biography he passed in 1959. Could it have been his son?

    All I remember is when they said his name I knew it and felt chills up my spine so I know he was a "somebody" and not a "nobody" pool player. I should mention I was a natural pool player at a very young age, 8 and my father would invite family and friends over and ask them to soot me when I was 10 years old. Very few if any beat me on our 7 foot table. I would spot them 15 or 20 points in a game of straight pool to 25 or 50. I bring this up only so you understand I was very into playing pool and knew every big name player of that time period even though there wasn't much news availed at that time.

    Anyone who has the answer to this riddle please reply.

    I need a good web site to do some research.

  7. cluster28billiardsforum on 11/7/2007 5:26:54 AM

    There really isn't much on the internet about specific anecdotal histories of billiard players unfortunately. The rich moments happened at a time where the sport was in its infancy and thus, was not well documented as it is today. Your best bet is to check out the billiard hall of fame which can be found on the BCA site.

    Update: Anyone looking for this type of untold stories of pool players - you are in luck. R.A. Dyer has published an AMAZING blog and a few books on this very exact subject. It's really good.

    • Get his books on amazon.com
    • Blog: poolhistory.com (and many other blogs about specific pool player's histories... just google it)

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True Pool and Billiard History Stories

  • Title: True Pool and Billiard History Stories
  • Author:
  • Published: 8/17/2007 4:16:55 PM
  • Last Updated: 1/15/2017 9:07:53 PM
  • Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)